Massachusetts Cannabis Prohibition is Over

Although it was November 8th of this year when Massachusetts voted to eliminate penalties for personal consumption and cultivation of marijuana, the law officially takes effect today. For legal sales, the soonest we’ll see stores opening is not until January of 2018 however. This is huge as Massachusetts is the first state on the east coast to implement a law like this. Maine also passed the ballot measure to legalize marijuana but it hasn’t taken effect yet. Keep in mind, these two states are very far away from the next closest recreational state of Colorado. This is definitely a victory worth celebrating and is the best example of an effective drug policy outside the western coastal area.

So what can the people of Massachusetts do exactly without going to prison or facing fines? What they should have always been able to do, cultivate and bring up to an oz of buds with them on their person. At home, the rule is 6 plants per person and total of 12 per household. You can also have up to 10 ounces kept at home. Prices at the recreational shops are sure to be ridiculously high when first starting out, so make sure to start your grow now and save some serious cash come 2018. Tax rates in the state are supposed to be low in comparison to other states like Colorado, Washington, and Oregon but the law of supply and demand the first opening months will guarantee some pricey buds.

For those of us that can’t grow because they don’t have the resources, knowledge, or time to put into an operation, there are no new options for obtaining cannabis. It’s illegal for people to sell and advertise on Craigslist and other sites so still go to your connection that you used before it became legal. There is no real legal way to purchase weed it’s suppose to just appear from nothing.(wouldn’t be so bad) Sticking to this method will not put the consumer at any additional risk instead of going to someone new who is openly advertising illegally. There have been plenty of cases on the news of police operations based on this idea in other states. This is a huge moment in history for personal freedom and I am just smiling thinking about the real crime that will be stopped, and the innocent lives that will be saved from the permanent damage of a criminal record. As long as you remember not to use in public or surpass the limits allowed, you can sleep at night knowing you’re no longer considered a criminal.